Lamp Stand Removed

Recently, I asked a pastor of a church that is having a “revival” service, “Do you haveany ministries that are reaching out in your community to help people? He pondered for a moment and said “Yes, we are having this ‘revival’.” So I asked him, “If your church were blown away in a storm, do you think the community would miss it? I don’t mean your members, but the community? He said, “Hmm, I get your point.” I was not trying to be dismissive about his revival, I was trying to explain that TRUE revival does not come just from great worship music or preaching, but it comes through our expressions of God’s love to the people in our communities. Revival does not just take place inside a building; it comes from building a community of love that produces a genuine spiritual awakening. An awakening like the one that finally came to Peter when Jesus asked him three times, “Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you REALLY love me?” …Peter’s response was, “Of course I love you, Lord!” Each time Jesus responded, “Then feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17) I can assure you that if we were out loving like Jesus loved, there would be revival like we have never seen.
Let us look at the definition of revival: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived: as a : renewed attention to or interest in something; b : a new presentation or publication of something old; c (1) : a period of renewed religious interest (2) : an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings.
The KJV Dictionary Definition: revival REVI’VAL, n. from revive.
1. Return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death; as the revival of a drowned person.
2. Return or recall to activity from a state of lethargy; as the revival of spirits.
3. Recall, return or recovery from a state of neglect,oblivion, obscurity or depression; as the revival of learning.
4. Renewed and more active attention to religion; an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.
In this country we have been so programmed to focus on the emotion of Revival that we have lost sight of what our true work is: to bring LIFE to a dying world, not to mention dying churches. Jesus put it very plainly in scripture: But I have this against you, that you have abandoned lthe love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do mthe works you did at first. If not, nI will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev. 2: 4-5 )
We all need to ask ourselves the same question I asked above. If you were blown away in a storm, would the community miss you? I don’t mean your family or friends, but the people who live in your community. We all need to go back and understand what Christ’s first love is. I am not going to tell you in this article, because I want you to go study it for yourself so that you will not forget. However, I want to warn you, once you find out what His “first love” is, you are then responsible from that point forward to follow through and return to, walk in, and live out that first love. I believe that many buildings across this country have had their “lampstands” removed, due to lack of fruit, works, love or manifestation of God’s presence, and the absence of any genuine involvement in the community where God Himself placed them to be light in the darkness.
Do we need revival? Not the revival that we might understand from man’s perspective. We need transformation; a transformation that can only take place by the renewing of our minds and the application of the work of Jesus Christ. This transformation cannot be achieved simply by “weeping and wailing” before God (as the revivalists might have us do), perhaps brought on by some hyped up motivational speeches with occasional goose bumps. The transformation that the Bible talks about is continual sanctification through the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:1,2; Phil. 1:6; 2:12,13; 3:20,21). True transformation is the product of prayer and fasting. We must pray for the courage and grace of the Holy Spirit to move us in the knowledge of Christ, with all power and authority given to each who bears the true understanding of being Christ like. We must stand fast with the Word in battle; not wavering, not compromising, not being overcome with fear, but steadfast in the cause of the truth – Yes I said the TRUTH! Truth and repentance are words foreign to many among popular revival movements, both past and present. So, I dare you to step out of the standard “revival” box and move toward an out-of-the-box realm to experience and exemplify God’s transforming love, which is the only thing that will ever bring true repentance and genuine, life-changing, and lasting deliverance from sin and death.
Blessings, r
Robert H. Holt
Pastor Healing Waters Outreach Center
14036 Sardis Road
Shannon Hills, AR 72103
501-516-1602
r-kholt@att.net